Fabric slitter



F.cATALLo FARIC SLITTER Dec. 16, 1958 Filed May 22, 1957 m m mm m EG O vC T N .T n mw Y F B l/mm Unite States Patent ddee FABRIC SLITTER Application May 22, 1957, Serial No. 660,823 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-294) The present invention relates to a slitting device, and more particularly to a novel hand implement for slitting fabrics, such as tubularknit fabrics, for example.

A large Variety of knit fabric materials are knitted in tubular form and are handled during at least part of the various subsequent operations. in the form of a doubled web. In some cases, it is desirable to slit the double web longitudinally to provide a single web of material which may be conveniently cut and sewed or otherwise processed. The present invention provides an improved and simplified hand operated device especially adapted to slit a length of tubed or folded material along one folded edge thereof. To this end, the new slitting device includes novel means for guiding a cutting element along a folded edge of a length of material and for guiding and confining the material during the cutting operation.

More specifically, the new slitting device includes a handle adapted to be conveniently gripped by the hand and mounting at its outer end a cutting element and means for guiding and confining material as it moves past the cutting element, the various components being arranged in a novel and improved manner whereby slitting of tubed or folded goods may be accomplished in anV accurate and eiicient manner. The device includes a relatively large at guiding blade which is adapted to be inserted between layers of the material to be slit and has a guiding edge adapted to be held against a fold or crease in the material so that the material is properly guided toward a cutting element or vice versa. The device also includes an improved arrangement for confining material adjacent the cutting element during a slitting operation to facilitate making a straight, uniform cut.

An ancillary feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved fabric slitting device of the type and having the characteristics set forth above which may he inexpensively manufactured and conveniently utilized.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the slitting device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the device of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the device of Fig. l illustrating the manner in which the device is used for slitting a length of tube or folded material.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral designates a handle portion of the new slitting device, the handle being of a convenient size and shape to be gripped by hand and having a principal axis, as indicated by the broken line 11. Extending outwardly from the outer or right hand end of the handle lll, is a guiding blade 12, which is relatively wide and flat, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. By way of example, the guiding blade 12 may Patented Dee. 16, 1958 be in the order of 6 inches in length, 2 inches in width, vat its widest portion, and 1A inch in thickness. The outer end portion 13 of the guiding blade is generally oval in shape, as shown in Fig. l, and the marginal edges of the blade are tapered to form a thin, relatively pointed outer edge, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

One of the edges 14 of the guiding blade 12, which may be referred to as the guiding edge of the blade, is disposed at an angle to the principal axis l1 of the handle and extends from the outer portion of the guiding blade to a point spaced approximately 2 inches from the outer end of the handle. The portion l5 of the blade 12 extending inwardly toward the handle, from the inner end of the guiding edge 14, may be referred to as the base portion of the blade. At the edgeV of of the base portion 15 adjacent the guiding edge 11i is a recess 16, which is advantageously disposed at an angle to the handle axis l1 opposite to the angle .between the handle axisand the guidingV edge 14. The arrangement, as shown in Fig. 1, issuch that the recess 16 and the guiding edge 14 intersect at an obtuse angle, forming a ilat V, the apex of which is directed generally toward the handle axis 11.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the recess 16 has a flat surface lying substantially in the plane of the guiding edge 14, which plane is also the central plane or plane of symmetry of the guiding blade 12. The dimensions of the recess 16 are such that the recess is adapted to receive a flat cutting element 17, such as a conventional form of razor blade, for example.

To secure the cutting element 17 in place in the recess 16, a clamping plate 1S is provided. The clamping plate may be of L-shaped cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, and is arranged to be received in a recess l@ in the base portion 1.5 of the guiding blade 12. One or more screws 20 are provided to secure the clamping plate 18 to the guiding blade l2 in a manner such that the cutting element 17 is gripped firmly in the recess 16.

As shown in Fig. l, the cutting edge 17a of the cutting element 17 intersects the edge 14 of the guiding blade 12. The arrangement is such that material passing over the guiding edge 14 engages and is severed by the cutting edge 17a.

In accordance with the invention, the handle iti mounts at its outer end a pair of guiding and confining members 21, 22 which extend outwardly along the guiding blade 12 and are spaced on opposite sides of the latter. The guiding and conning members 21, 22 may be in the order of 4 inches in length and extend outwardly along the guiding blade, beyond the cutting element 17. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the guiding and confining members are spaced laterally from the guiding blade 12 to define slots 23, 24, the slots being of such dimensions as to provide for the passage therethrough of layers of fabric or other material. The inner end extremities of the slots 23, 24, as defined by walls 25, 26, are advantageously located so that a projection of the guiding edge 14, as represented by the broken line 27, passes outside the end limits of the walls.

In the illustrated and preferred form of the invention, the handle 1t), guiding blade 12, and guiding and confning members 25, 26 form a single integral cast or molded part. A suitable aluminum alloy, for example, or appropriate rigid plastics form desirable materials with which to make the cast or molded part.

In the use of the new slitting device, the guiding blade 12 is inserted between layers of tubed or folded material, at one end of the length of material, and the device is drawn toward the folded edge of the material so that the guiding edge 14 of the flat blade 12 presses against the inside of the fold or crease in the material. As will be observed by noting the relationship of the handle axis 1l lies outside the limits of the fabric.

When the guiding blade 12 is inserted between the` layers of material, the material may be guided over the blade in a manner such that the layers of material enter the slots 23, 2d between the blade 12 and the guiding and confining members 21, 22. As may be readily observed in Fig. 3, portions of the material project through the slots 23, 24.- on the side of the guiding blade opposite the cutting element 17. Accordingly, such projecting portions of the material may be gripped in one hand, while the handle portion of the slitting device is gripped in the other hand. The slitting device is then moved relative to the fabric, to draw the fold or the crease of the fabric along the guiding edge 14 and over the cutting edge 17a of the cutting element. In this manner, the fabric is slit accurately and uniformly along the fold line, and the several layers of material pass over the base portion 15 of the guiding blade and through the slots 23, 24. The guiding and confining members 21 and 22 assure that the layers of material are confined closely to the guiding blade 12, so that a well defined fold or crease is formed in the material as it is presented to the cutting edge 17a. The members 21, 22 additionally facilitate manipulation of the fabric and slitting device, so that the guiding blade 12 moves in a straight line along the length of material. In this respect, it is not necessary that the material initially have a well defined fold or crease, since as the flat, relatively sharp-edged guiding blade is urged along the material, a proper fold or crease line is formed along the guiding edge 14. In such cases the operator ofV the device has little difficulty in causing the guiding blade 12 to move in a straight line along the material.

In the illustrated form of the invention the cutting element 17 is a readily replaceable element, such as a conventional razor blade. Accordingly, when the cutting edge becomes dulled, a new cutting element may be inserted in the device in a minimum of time.

It should be understood that the specific form of the slitting device herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the invention. Thus, the specific dimensions, materials and components mentioned herein may be changed in appropriate instances without changing the nature of the device or its usefulness for its intended purpose. Likewise, although it is specifically contemplated that the new slitting device may be advantageously utilized in the cutting of tubed or folded fabrics, it is further contemplated that the device may be used to advantage in connection with the cutting of other materials. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for slitting folded or tubular material comprising in combination a handle adapted to be manually gripped and having a principal axis, a fiat guiding blade mounted on and projecting outwardly from said handle and having an active guiding edge disposed at an angle with respect to the axis of said handle, a cutting element removably mounted on said guiding blade outwardly of said handle but near the inner end of said guiding blade, said cutting element having a cutting edge lying substantially in the plane of said guiding edge and being disposed at an angle to said guiding edge, and a pair of fabric confining and guiding members mounted at their inner ends on said handle and projecting outwardly along said guiding blade on opposite sides of said guiding blade each being spaced a distance therefrom sufficient to provide for the passage between it and said guiding blade of layers of fabric.

2. The device of claim 1, characterized by said guiding and confining members defining with said guiding blade a pair of spaced slots bounded at their inner ends by walls, and said guiding edge and said walls being so related that a projection of said guiding edge from a point adjacent said cutting element passes outside the end limits of said walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,660,787 Parker et al. Dec. 1, 1953 

